At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
• Describe the historical and regulatory evolution of the management of mental disorders and pathological addiction in Italy;
• Know the repercussions of stigma and prejudice against mental disorder and pathological addiction on health outcomes;
• Describe the nursing role within the multidisciplinary team working in Mental Health and Addiction Services;
• Describe the main signs and symptoms of mental disorder or pathological addiction and the tools/methods suitable for detecting and managing them;
• Describe the basic principles of therapeutic-rehabilitative intervention for people with signs/symptoms of mental disorder and/or pathological addiction and the related objectives.

APPLIED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
• Plan care for a person with signs/symptoms of mental disorder and/or pathological addiction (focused assessment, identification of priority nursing diagnoses, formulation of objectives, scheduling of interventions and review times).

AUTONOMY OF JUDGMENT
• Critically evaluate the applicability of therapeutic/rehabilitative interventions suitable for the specific situation;
• Verify the achievement of the planned care objectives.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• Use the appropriate specific terminology, with attention to the reduction of stigma and any discrimination.

CAPACITY TO LEARN
• Identify suitable sources for professional updating.

For a better understanding of the topics covered in this course, the student should have basic knowledge of Methodology of the care relationship and Clinical Nursing in long-term care (1st and 2nd year courses)

1) Definitions and epidemiology
2) Current and historical legislation and evolution of Services
3) Nursing role, stigma and health outcomes
4) Relationship as an operational tool
5) Nursing assessment
6) Planning for common care needs

• Badon, P., Palumbo, C., & Saluzzi, S. (2023). Assistenza infermieristica in salute mentale. Pianificazione dell’assistenza con NANDA-I, NOC e NIC. Con e-book. CEA.
•Barelli, P., & Spagnolli, E. (2004). Nursing di salute mentale. Carocci Faber.
• World Health Organization. (2018). Guida agli interventi mhGAP per i disturbi psichici, neurologici e da uso di sostanze in contesti non specialistici—Versione 2.0 (R. Mezzina, V. Botter, C. Fantuzzi, M. Elia, R. Di Giorgio, & E. Di Fatta, A c. Di). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/250239
• World Health Organization. (2025a). Mental health atlas 2024. World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2025b). World mental health today: Latest data. World Health Organization.
Insights:
• Casolaro, S., Vitale, E., & Libellula. (2012). Infermieristica in psichiatria e salute mentale: Principi di base. Libellula.
• Meneghelli, A., Monzani, E., & Percudani, M. (2019). Stati mentali a rischio: Riconoscere, prevenire, curare nei giovani. Il Pensiero Scientifico.

Other recommended texts:
• Merini, A. (2013). L’altra verità. BUR.
• Polidoro, M. (2011). Marta che aspetta l’alba. Edizioni Piemme.

Preparatory texts (already known to the student):
• Dochterman, J. M., Butcher, H. K., Bulechek, G. M., Wagner, C., & Rigon, L. A. (2020). Classificazione NIC degli interventi infermieristici (3° edizione). CEA.
• Moorhead, S., Johnson, M., Maas, M., Swanson, E., & Rigon, L. A. (2020). Classificazione NOC dei risultati infermieristici. Misurazione dei risultati di salute (3° edizione). CEA.
• Herdman, T. H., Kamitsuru, S., & Lopes, C. T. (2024). Diagnosi infermieristiche NANDA-I, Definizioni e classificazione 2024-2026 (L. A. Rigon, O. Meneghetti, & C. Santin, Eds.; 13. edizione). Casa Editrice Ambrosiana.

The course aims to provide the student with the skills necessary to assess the person with mental disorder and/or pathological addiction from a multidimensional point of view, identifying the needs and preparing the most suitable therapeutic and rehabilitative interventions for the person and the family, in a multidisciplinary perspective.

Topics covered:

1) Definitions and epidemiology: definitions of mental health, mental health problem, mental disorder, addiction, pathological addiction, psychosocial disability; epidemiology of mental disorders and pathological addiction (with and without substances) in the world and in Italy
2) Current and historical legislation and evolution of services: assistance approach to mental disorder and addiction over the centuries, stigma and prejudice, the psychiatric reform of the 70s, Project Objective for Mental Health, overcoming OPG, WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan, Italian Law 309/90 and European regulations on substances and substances abuse. Organization of mental health and addiction services according to the National Health Plan and related legislation
3) Nursing role, stigma and health outcomes: evolution of the professional role, care goals, nursing theories (Parse and Peplau)
4) Relationship as an operational tool: holding function, principles of the therapeutic relationship in mental health, de-escalation techniques
5) Nursing assessment: setting, listening, observation. Proposal of assessment grids.
6) Planning on common care problems: nursing diagnoses of greatest interest with particular reference to the pyramid of needs, objectives and result indicators, targeted interventions

Lectures and flipped classrooms with the support of digital presentations and videos, during which students will be invited to form working groups.
During the course elements of gamification will be proposed. Various exemplary clinical situations will be presented which the students will have to analyze and finally propose in a group a plan of care.
A team-based learning experience will be offered, which will provide a bonus to the final grade together with the Community Nursing module, part of the same course.

All the study material and material on topics discussed in class is available on the Moodle platform of the course, including links to the shown videos.

Written test integrated with the other teaching modules, face-to-face on the Moodle platform.
As far as this module is concerned, the test will consist of 4 closed-ended questions (multiple, categorization and ranking) and 2 open-ended questions (short summary answer). Each closed question provides a maximum score of 1 point, each open question a maximum score of 2 points, for a maximum total of 6 points. Any "vote bonus" obtained thanks to active participation in the classroom (team based learning), certifiable via a certificate downloadable on Moodle at the end of the course, is worth 2 points, is applicable only if the overall test is already sufficient and will be assigned in the whole evaluation of the course. Evaluations to closed questions are assigned automatically by the Moodle platform and also include decimal points in case of partially correct answers. For open questions, the maximum score is assigned if the student demonstrates that he/she has acquired an excellent knowledge of the subject being treated and that he/she has answered exhaustively and with excellent language skills. A score lower than the maximum established for each question is also foreseen for open answers if the answer is incomplete, only partially correct and the argument is presented in a confused manner and with little or no language skills, 0 points if a student does not respond or does not demonstrate an acceptable knowledge of the contents. The maximum score obtainable for each open question can be viewed on the Moodle platform during the exam itself.

This course explores topics closely related to one or more goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs)